


Take a Breath

by WritingsOfAHobbit



Series: Dwalin/Reader Stories [1]
Category: The Hobbit
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2019-03-08 07:12:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13453137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritingsOfAHobbit/pseuds/WritingsOfAHobbit





	Take a Breath

You’re stubborn. Incredibly so. You mother has told you this. Your father has told you this. Your siblings and friends have told you this. Gandalf has told you this. Thorin has told you this. 

Several times.

Loudly. 

Angrily.

You are a farm child. The dwarves are cave dwellers. As far as you’re concerned you know far more about camping out in the wilderness, harvesting supplies and collecting water than any of them do. But Thorin just won’t listen!

Every night he gives an order that could likely get you all killed. “Set up camp over there in that cave. Set a fire here after dark and leave it burning whilst we sleep. Eat these berries that I’ve never seen before.”

Tonight’s wondrous order is “Fill your flasks from this small stream.”

“I will assume,” you say, standing with arms folded, glaring at the dwarf prince, “that you haven’t bothered to check for the source of this stream.”

“You’re right, I have not trekked five miles to the top of the nearest bloody mountain to find out where this snivelling little brook has come from.” The dwarf prince glowers back at you.

You were hardly surprised. This prince didn't seem to care much for his companions. “I’m not suggesting you go scale a mountain, not that I’m opposed to some silence from you, I’m merely suggesting you stick your head around the corner to see if there’s a dead body floating thirty feet away!” Should there be a decomposing sheep carcass or something of the like in the water, you could all be dead from sepsis in two days. Bilbo, who’d been crouching down to fill his flask from the stream, suddenly turned green and dropped his skin on the the bank.

“The water is clean, Oh High-and-mighty!” Thorin growled. “You can see the bottom of it, you can’t smell anything, you can drink it!”

You glare at him. “You’re willing to risk your entire company falling ill because you can’t take thirty steps over there?!” You gesture in exasperation to a shrub. It wouldn't kill him to stick his head around the leaves and take a peek. 

“You do it if you’re concerned about it!” The prince shouts, stomping down to the waters edge and filling his flask.

You huff and stomp to the large thickets that obscure the rest of the river. You peer round, almost hoping to find something dead and contaminating the water. There’s nothing. The water is safe. Damn.

“Well.” Thorin shouts from behind you. “What do you see? Your dignity running with its tail between its legs?”

He laughs loudly at his own joke and you feel rage boil up inside you. You turn to shout something about his crappy leadership skills and elven ears, but come face to face with Dwalin instead.

“Whatever you’re about to shout, I suggest that you don’t.” he warns. “Thorin will not hesitate to send you home.”

“Perhaps he should.” you snap. “I’d rather return home with nothing than live every day with my neck on the block for his entertainment.” 

“Calm yourself.” Dwalin warns. “That is my king you talk about.”

“Some crappy king without a throne and elv-”

Dwalin’s lips are surprisingly gentle on yours. It’s only the briefest touch but it sends warmth running across your face. “Be very careful.” he warns. “I would suggest that you take your leave of us for a while until you can watch your words.”

You nod dumbfoundly and allow him to gently push you out of sight of the company. When he’s certain you’ll remain there he turns on his heel and vanishes back to Thorin’s side.You stand there for quite some time, just staring off into the distance.

Dwalin kissed you. Kissed you. Did you even like him like that? Did he even like you like that? He was the physical embodiment of what you wanted from a partner; strong, handsome and protective with a soft and caring side; but wasn’t Dwalin attracted to Thorin? Surely he was. He was never away from his side, always fussing the dwarf prince and standing up for him. More so than expected of a loyal servant to his prince. But then Fili and Kili were too and they were his family. Was it possible that Dwalin saw Thorin as family but was secretly attracted to you? Do you want that to be the case? If it is the case what are you going to do about it? Should you pursue a romance just for it likely end in fire and death and heartbreak a few months later? Or was the kiss just the quickest way to stop you from digging yourself into a hole from which there was no way out?

You don’t realise you’ve been internally rambling until the wind picks up and you realise your feet are absolutely freezing. Glancing down you realise that you’re stood ankle deep in the river. You swear and jump onto the shore, fingers pulling at the laces on your boots. You pull off your socks and wring them out before drying your wrinkly feet on your tunic. “Idiot.” you mutter to yourself, flapping the socks to get rid of as much water as possible.

“Aye, that you are.”

You glance over your shoulder to see Dwalin making his way towards you. “Let me guess, I’m walking tomorrow?” you huff.That it Thorin’s eternal punishment for you; everytime you oppose him you walk the next day. You're used to being on your feet from your days on the farm, but just once it would be nice to ride. You've missed it since you left home to come on this accursed quest. 

“Aye, it would seem like it." Dwalin nodded, the fading sun reflecting off his hairless head. "Unless you’d like to ride with me.”

“Ride with you?” you blink at him in surprise. Dwalin nods. Did this have something to do with the kiss? Or was he just taking pity on you?

“I kissed you to shut you up.” Dwalin points out.

Well, that's that then. “There are many ways to shut a person up that don’t include kissing them.” you challenge. Wait, are is that disappointment you're feeling? It is. You're disappointed it was nothing more than a method to keep you quiet. 

Dwalin smiles softly. “Aye, there are, but I've wanted to kiss you for a little while.” he holds out a hand and you notice that he’s taken his knuckle plates out. You cautiously take his hand, noting just how calloused they are. He pulls you close, tentatively wrapping his arms around your waist. “You may be stubborn but you have the heart of a lion and I admire that courage. Your courage adds to your beauty and I see only new life when I look at you. Should you not object, I think I should like to court you.”

You smile, tentatively reaching out to stroke his cheek. “I’d like that.”


End file.
